“But her greatest assets were her bound feet, called in Chinese "three-inch golden lilies" (san-tsun-gin-lian). This meant she walked "like a tender young willow shoot in a spring breeze," as Chinese connoisseurs of women traditionally put it. The sight of… — Jung Chang Copy Share Image
“So the story of Wild Fox Kang’s attempted coup and murder of Cixi lay in darkness and obscurity for nearly a century, until the… — Jung Chang Copy Share
My father said he was going to write to the Jinzhou City Party Committee asking for permission to 'talk about love'...My mother supposed it… — Jung Chang Copy Share
For anyone to open their heart, they need the right atmosphere, and something to prompt them. For my mother it was her trip abroad:… — Jung Chang Copy Share
“Meanwhile, Mme Mao and her cohorts were renewing their efforts to prevent the country from working. In industry, their slogan was: "To stop production… — Jung Chang Copy Share
“I was extremely curious about the alternatives to the kind of life I had been leading, and my friends and I exchanged rumors and… — Jung Chang Copy Share
“Unlike most founding dictators—Lenin, Mussolini, Hitler—Mao did not inspire a passionate following through his oratory, or ideological appeal. He simply sought willing recruits among… — Jung Chang Copy Share
“MAO TSE-TUNG, who for decades held absolute power over the lives of one-quarter of the world’s population, was responsible for well over 70 million… — Jung Chang Copy Share
“mosquito-netted open windows was an enormous privilege. ‘You must not think you are superior to them,’ he would say. ‘You are just” — Jung Chang Copy Share
When he asked my grandmother if she would mind being poor, she said she would be happy just to have her daughter and himself:… — Jung Chang Copy Share
“Poverty drove their parents to have them castrated as young children, hoping they would earn a better living at court. Usually the father would… — Jung Chang Copy Share
I was not allowed to take notes but my friend and I memorised those two and a half pages. Most people talked to me… — Jung Chang Copy Share
If children were brought up to become non-conformists it would only ruin their lives. So parents all over China who loved their children told… — Jung Chang Copy Share
“The Manchus drank tea with a lot of milk. In her case, the milk came from the breasts of a nurse. Cixi had been… — Jung Chang Copy Share
“According to tradition, my great-grandfather married early, at 14, with a woman six years older. It was considered to be one of the duties… — Jung Chang Copy Share
“When I heard about the ease with which the Four had been removed, I felt a wave of sadness. How could such a small… — Jung Chang Copy Share
